Yippe, Skipppppppe!

How time flies!


I have officially graduated from college (although they don't give you your diploma for two weeks!)! Not sure quite how I got here, but it has been an interesting trip. I started out at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which is a great school as everyone already knows. I decided that it was most definitely not the place for me, and being so far from the horses killed me....literally, I was not such a happy individual. I then took a year "off" (I'm not sure working between 65 and 75 hours a week while taking 13 hours is a year off but whatever floats your boat).

(The family at Graduation!)


I went to the community college in Southern Pines and started out working for David and Lauren O'Brien; I took my first lesson with David when I was 8 years old on my 13.1 hand pony Mima (THE COOLEST PONY EVER!), and first started working for them when I was 13 (not sure I helped so much then!) and had just gotten my first real horse Kilkeel (who was a bit nutty, but a great learning experience none the less). I decided it was a logical decision to work for them since I had been seriously riding with both Lauren and David since I was 13; it was a great experience, I learned a lot, but in the end decided I needed to branch out. It was an incredibly hard decision for more reasons than I can count, I owe a lot to them; David taught me so much about young horses and Lauren is the lameness queen (seriously, if you ever see her advanced horse Guinn, his legs look like he is 3, not a blemish to be found!).
(Kilkeel won the Sandhills Series in 2003 @ Training level)


(Fannie, holds the record for sweetest horse and worst canter in the history of world)

I then started working for Charlie Plumb in the winter of 07/08, who is one of the nicest people you will ever meet, and riding with Jim Kofford and Bobby Costello. Charlie was always very supportive of anything I did while working for him; I had a nasty fall off Clif in February and was very seriously considering selling him asap (Good thing I didn't huh!?) and just playing around with Tess at novice/training, and Charlie was always there for me to talk to about my thoughts, no matter how ridiculous. Jim was the most fabulously positive person you could ever hope to do dressage with; he was always so encouraging and helpful with Clif (who was still a bolting, bucking disaster at this point!) which was great because as we all know, my self-confidence is not exactly solid or high. I owe quite a bit to Bobby, he never had a doubt about Clif's abilities....even on the day when I had to jump about 2 feet because anything higher led to Clif bolting off and pitching a holy fit. Bobby also seriously addressed my position and my training of the horses; I will never forget what he told me, you can ride them all day long, but it doesn't you a darn bit of good unless you train them!".

(Miss Jemima Puddle Duck..yes that was her real name and yes she had a fan club!)

After taking my year "off" I started attending App State in beautiful Boone, NC. It was a really great change and experience. I loved the atmosphere, so laid back and friendly. The professors were GREAT, always willing to help and very knowledgeable. I would go here again in a second. It was while here that I found a bit about who I am and the person I want to be. I think all of this has been quite obvious in how happy I have become and how happy my horses are, I dare say you will not find much more happy horses anywhere (I am a firm believer that your horses reflect you a lot of the time). Riding wise, I started riding with Sharon White, who absolutely one of the greatest people you will ever hope to meet, much less ride with! She is a great influence on me and I feel like she is the type of person the sport needs, someone who works incredibly hard and seriously cares about their horses, their friends, and their family. I also think her help has been quite evident...my horses are going the best they ever have, and I am riding the best I ever have.

(Clif after his CCI* Test, looking very please with himself..big surprise there!)

Andddddddddddddd all of this had led me to right here. I am Happy with where I am..but a bit nervous! I am currently figuring out my fall/life plans at the moment, scary! I am hoping to let Clif do the Fairhill ** in fall if he wants to go that direction and letting the little monster princess do her first intermediate in the fall, exciting! I have to say, I am so glad I was never bought a "made" horse ( not that it was an option :) ), because I know my horses would not be where they are or even the horses that they are if I had. They both have taken some seriously scenic routes to get where they are, but they are two of the most fabulous horses..that is totally unbiased of course.

(Tess getting a Jimmy Wofford lesson....he was the first one to call her the Princess!)

Clif and Tess have both been great this last week. Tess has continued to jump like a freak. Clif has been jumping quite straight and accurate, hoping that holds out for his intermediate at Virginia HT in 2 weeks! Tess is also WILD, she is super fit, but most definitely does not look it, she still looks fat and happy (which I am grateful for!). Everyone galloped today and had a blast going up the mountain (literally I galloped them up a freaking mountain!)..Clif tried to run away..HA, he found out that wasn't working going up the ski slope!

Last and certainly not least the new babies are here! Irish (who I HAVE to rename!) and Tuc (Tess's sister) have settled in quite well and are enjoying life! They are such sweet horses, I think we lucked out! Irish has a personality rebound rate of about 3.5 seconds, which is fine except she is constantly wanting to stand on top of you to say hi. Tuc is very shy, but very sweet and cute when she isn't being bitten out of the way by Irish. They are both quite clever, Tuc was watching me in the house (their field is about 10 feet away from the house) this morning, little busy body (wonder where she gets that from!?!?..TESS!). Tuc is now living with Clif, Tess and Sam; Clif and Sam think she's the best thing since Ms. Pastures, and Tess wishes she had never been born! Irish had also made new friends living with two other boarded horses, the three of them are becoming good friends as well.

Also, in exciting news is the #1 Preliminary Am. Rider ranking on the USEA leaderboard. Check it out here: http://useventing.com/competitions.php?section=leaderboard&lb=preliminary . Also equally as exciting, I (or we!) are now Kerrits Ambassadors! We have a fun little profile complete with pictures and all :) on the Kerrits website. Check it out here: http://67.199.81.95/Equestrian-Apparel/pc/Hillary-Irwin-d194.htm .

Next week I am heading for lessons at Sharon's farm and then will head straight to the VA HT, where Tess will run her first CCI* and Clif is headed to the intermediate! We will update from there!

Enjoy this nice cool weather and remember where you came from got you where you are :)

Hillary